Shoe-fastener.



No. 763,177. I PATBNTED JUNE 21, 1904.

J. F..HAEFE LE. I SHOE FASTENBR.

APPLICATION IIILED JAN. 2.8. 1904.

H0 KODBL.

UNITED STATES Patented June 21, 190i.

PATENT OFFICE.

SHOE-FASTENER- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 763,177, dated June 21, 1904.

Application filed January 28, 1904. Serial No. 191,012. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN F. HAEEELE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Shoe-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in shoe-fasteners, and has for its object to provide a shoe-fastener by which the shoe may be laced without passing the laces through the holes, and the fasteners will be so constructed as to be particularly desirable in ladies shoes, as they will not catch upon the edge of the skirts.

With these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claim.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe provided with my improved fasteners; Fig. 2, an enlarged front elevation of one of the fasteners secured to the shoe; Fig. 3, a rear elevation of a fastener secured to a shoe; Fig. 4:, a perspective view of one of the fasteners.

The shoe-fasteners now commonly used upon mens and boys shoes consist of sheetmetal hooks secured to the leather upon each side of the opening, the hook being formed by the metal being turned back upon itself parallel with the plane of the leather to which it is fastened, and in this construction the bill of the hook necessarily projects considerably above the surface of the leather, and therefore this form of fastener is not practical for use upon ladies shoes, as the hooks are liable to catch in the edge of the skirts.

In my improved fastener I utilize hooks; but said hooks are all formed in one plane and are secured to the leather and extend over the edge of the leather, as shown in Fig. l, the bill of the hook being turned upward in the same plane as the body of the hook. Therefore the bill of the hook does not project above the surface of the leather, and when laced, as shown in Fig. 1, with the laces passing from below underneath the bend of the hook and then over the bill of the hook, the tendency will be to press the bill of the hook inward instead of outward, and therefore will have no protruding points which are liable to catch in the edge of the skirt.

A represents the hook, the body of which is secured to the leather by means of the eyelet B, and the shank of the hook extends toward the opening and over the edge of the leather and is bent back in the same plane to form the bill C. These hooks of course may be made in any manner desired; but I prefer to construct them all of sheet metal stamped to form an eyelet B, which passes through the leather and the edge turned over upon the rearward side, as shown in Fig. 3. The shank and bill of the hook are formed round by the bending of the metal into a tube, and the hook may be strengthened at this point by passing a steel wire D through the shank and bill of the hook, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4:.

Of courseI do not wish to be limited to the exact construction here shown, as slight modifications could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is In combination with a shoe, a shoe-fastener consisting of a hook, the body portion being enlarged and secured to the leather, the shank of the hook projecting toward the opening of the shoe and over the edge of the leather, said shank and bill of the hook being formed tubular, a metal wire passing through this tubular portion for the purpose of strengthening the same, the bill of the hook formed in the same plane as the balance of said hook so that the hill of the hook will be pressed inward rather than outward when the shoe is laced, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN F. HAEFELE.

Witnesses:

EVERETT H. WHITE, JAS. A. HOWARD. 

